Skyrim's Saviors

51: Emeaen Nightshade

Brynjolf and I wake up, having both fallen asleep, only to find people in our camp. I open one eye slowly, knowing only because of his breathing that Brynjolf is awake. I look at the people, who have surrounded us, and a man steps forward, grabbing Brynjolf by the hair and yanking him upright.

"You shouldn't have just left me for dead, Brynjolf," the man snarls. "Unfortunately for you, your girlfriend here will pay the ultimate price for your stupidity."

Brynjolf doesn't speak, but his eyes flick to me. My heart sinks with the realization that he is paralyzed. Brynjolf cannot move. He can't come to my defense.

I leap up and draw both daggers, and as one, the men and women around us draw their weapons. The man holding Brynjolf is in all black, with a mask over his nose and mouth, but his voice is sharp as a blade and arrogant.

Brynjolf's eyes widen. He wants to protect me, I know that. But he can't. Not against these foes.

"Let him go," I snap.

The man barks out a laugh. "Your feeble threats are insulting, little girl." He draws a bloody dagger from its sheath at his side, and places it against Brynjolf's throat. "I'd choose my next words carefully, if I were you."

"Who are you and what do you want?"

He narrows his eyes. "I'm surprised that your boyfriend here never told you about me. Although, for a Bosmer guard, I suppose he'd have no reason to. He thought I was dead. Mercer Frey, at your service."

"If you're at my service, then let Brynjolf go," I say. "And take me instead."

He laughs again. "No, I don't think I will. What lies has he been filling your head with? Tales of Thieves who have honor? Nocturnal and the Nightingales are a joke, and I will see them all destroyed."

I decide to just go with it, and pretend I know what this Mercer Frey is talking about, as well as who he is.

If I can stall long enough for the paralysis poison he tipped his dagger into and then stabbed Brynjolf - he stabbed him in the lower side on his right - then, maybe Brynjolf can help me kill this asshole.

"I can practically hear you thinking," he says. "It doesn't matter that they took the Skeleton Key from me, it already unlocked my hidden potential. Wanna see what I can do, elf?"

Suddenly, the ground quakes. Then, a force like a brick wall hitting me throws me off my feet, and onto my back on the ground several feet away. My daggers fly out of my reach, and as I scramble towards them, one of the people Mercer brought with him kicks the blade away from me.

I glare at them. I taste blood on my tongue, smell it in my nose.

What did Mercer hit me with?

"This is going very well," Mercer remarks.

Suddenly, one of the females, a Breton girl with brown hair and cold, blue eyes, draws her arrow, takes aim, and fires - right into Mercer Frey's chest.

He cries out and falls down, collapsing behind Brynjolf, who also falls face first onto the ground. The other guards Mercer had do not even blink an eye as his lifeblood seeps into the ground. He spits blood and looks at the girl as she runs over to him.

"How dare you! You bitch! I'll dance in your entrails!" Mercer screams.

The girl leans down. "No, father. I'll be the one who does that.... with yours."

His eyes widen in recognition. "Eliana?"

"In the flesh, pops," she says. "Karliah had me inducted into the Nightingales for this. After you die, well, I almost pity you. Who knows what Nocturnal will do with your soul?"

"But .... I killed you " Mercer heaves.

"No, you didn't. I've spent years training, then months in the Guild. And then, when you betrayed us, and my best friend showed up, she told me all about how you killed her father. So, she's pretty pissed at you, too."

"Who are you talking about?" he splutters.

"Her name is of no concern to you yet, but she was born around 26 years ago. Don't you worry, though, you'll be seeing her soon."

She pops a potion from her pocket and forces it down his throat. Mercer falls into a deep sleep, and she turns, popping another bottle out of her pocket, and leaning by Brynjolf.

"So sorry, Bryn," she says. "I had to make it look real, I had to wait for my opening. This is a potion that will cure your paralysis."

She lets him drink it, and he soon is up and limping over to me. "I need to get her out of here, lass."

"Brynjolf, I need your help getting Mercer to the Guild alive. Karliah's daughter needs to be the one who kills him."

"Emeaen here needs to be kept safe," he insists.

"Go," I say. "I can handle myself."

"No, lass. You can't." Brynjolf sighs. Then, he looks at Eliana once again, then me. "Fine, I'll take Emeaen here back to the Guild, as well as Mercer. But lass, how is he even alive after what happened?"

She shrugs. "Guess we will find out soon enough."